Concerts

PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR FINAL SEASON IN 2027:

The time has come to say farewell to the musical gatherings begun at the Elks Hall in Pasadena on January 25, 1904 with the first of Miss Alice Coleman’s concerts. In the past 122 years more than a thousand musical events have taken place, including the concerts, 69 years of the chamber ensemble competition for young artists, 55 years of school lecture/demonstrations, and occasional master classes.

When Alice Coleman (later Alice Coleman Batchelder) began offering performances there was no musical alternative: no internet, no television, no radio, movies were silent, and early recordings offered no more than 11 minutes of uninterrupted music. Today we stream entire concerts without interruption (most of the time). What remarkable things we now take for granted!

Coleman has long balanced rising expenses against revenues (ticket sales plus the generosity of donors) by calling upon its reserves. These reserves have been severely compromised during and following the two years Beckman Auditorium was closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

When the concerts resumed, a third of our subscribers had been lost. Despite our best efforts, they have not been replaced, and Coleman’s reserves have dwindled. This final season, however brief, is our opportunity to celebrate the genius and dedication of our founder.

Alice’s legacy, her gift to Pasadena and to posterity, is more than just music . . . it is the magic of the shared experience of live performance, the energy created together by the artists and the audience. Alice’s concert series may be ending, but her gift and her legacy will live on.